French authorities have requested a criminal investigation into alleged mistreatment of French citizens who participated in a humanitarian flotilla attempting to deliver aid to Gaza, according to statements made Friday by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
“Based on a report I requested from our Consul General in Turkey, who informed me of sexual violence, exposure to the cold, beatings, and repeated humiliation of French nationals, all of these acts are likely to constitute criminal offenses (and) I decided yesterday to refer the matter to the public prosecutor,” Barrot stated during an interview with France Inter radio.
The flotilla was stopped last week while attempting to transport humanitarian supplies to Gaza. According to organizers, participants faced serious abuse during their detention, resulting in multiple hospitalizations due to injuries and at least 15 reports of sexual assault, including rape. All detained activists have since been freed.
Legal representatives for the French flotilla participants announced plans to file their own formal complaint regarding the violence their clients endured, which they described as including humiliation, rape and torture.
However, these lawyers rejected an offer from Barrot’s office to meet and discuss the situation. In their response, they stated that “the buzz from the minister’s declarations will not make us forget that the French government has supported the state of Israel since the beginning of the genocide.”
